Ever since I started using computers, I've been baffled by the relative clumsiness of installing applications. Whether we are talking the really old days (launching the Rambo game off a tape), the '90s (running Keen or using installers in Windows 95), or the modern days (still those installers, but now also package management and self-contained applications); it's all relatively cumbersome, and they all have their downsides. I decided to put my money where my mouth is, and come up with my idealistic, utopian method of installing, running, updating, and uninstalling applications.

The "ask the admin" approach usually takes some time and gives the admins a bad reputation of being not very responsive.

If not in an environment where installing an application may compromise security and should be prohibited, there is a clear benefit in letting the user do basic administration tasks (installing stuff). Debian-style package management makes this possible because installing something is designed to be a zero hassle operation. However, the neat thing about being superuser to install stuff is that it keeps the applications clean and working. A similar approach should be used by not giving the user actual write rights in his app folder, but using a setuid mechanism so that only the package manager can do that.